Design Challenges Well Worth the Effort


 This new construction cape was a challenge worth all the effort!

At the beginning of this project, we were up against the city for requiring a demolition permit for removing the existing building structure. There was a lot, I mean a lot of neighborhood contention with this project, and the city struggled with ordinances and code in order to get this project passed. At the end of the day (a very long day), the project did meet all city requirements and the building permits were issued. 

As a note, time is money and ultimately this delay did cost the client approximately $20,000.

With building permits in hand, we started construction and the process moved fairly smoothly. The home features black windows on the exterior and white on the interior, an open floor concept, four bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, a butler’s pantry, bar, mudroom, and a four-car garage. We left the basement and space over the garage unfinished originally, but those spaces are being finished now for a playroom, gym, and home office.

The design aesthetic is a careful blend of natural, reclaimed, and engineered materials. The color palette ranges from whites, grays, blues, and blacks for paint colors. All the bathrooms have an element of Carrera marble from either the countertop, wall tile, or mosaic floor. Porcelain penny rounds with either white or gray grout are used for the bathroom floors as a juxtaposition of wallpaper and texture. The mudroom floor is complete with porcelain slate 12 x 24 tiles. 

I was also able to design the landscaping on this project as well. Landscaping is an integral part of the success of this project because the lot is on a sloped hill and we needed to mitigate water runoff. The driveway is retained by a stone wall and has porous pavers as a surface with a rain garden on the other side where the water will run through. In the backyard, there are beautiful gardens around the perimeter with hydrangea, birch, and perennials. Surrounding the raised patio are small evergreen plants and an outdoor fireplace on a raised patio.

From the exteriors to interiors this home boasts beautiful features and details for modern, functional living. While this project was a challenge, it was well worth the effort!

 
 
 

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